Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Magic Kingdom)
Magic Kingdom's original 1971 version of this attraction was designed differently from its 1955 Disneyland counterpart. On opening day, it soft-opened without not only Timothy and his disco ball, but the elephants' hats also. The hats and disco ball were eventually added after a few months, but the Timothy Mouse figure was not added for about two years. The ride was later updated with the 16 vehicles and the new ride mechanism in 1993. However, it does not include a central water feature like its Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland counterparts; the utilidors running directly below the attraction prevented the installation of water pipes necessary for the water features to operate. Also for this version, as well as its Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland counterparts, Timothy's hot air balloon had red and white stripes, rather than rainbow stripes for the Disneyland version. In 1997, the attraction's queue was covered to provide shade and decorated with topiaries. For nostalgic visitors, a replica of Magic Kingdom's 1971 version currently exists at Tokyo Disneyland, being the only park to still feature 10 flying elephants and Timothy spinning on a disco ball. It is also the only other park, aside from Disneyland, to have Timothy holding a whip. Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland underwent a large expansion and renovation that began in 2011. The new Fantasyland was constructed in phases with the first half of the storybook circus open by mid-2012; a section dedicated to The Little Mermaid, a section dedictated to Beauty and the Beast, and the second half of storybook circus were opened by December 6, 2012, some additional attractions opened in 2013, and the final phase was the opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which soft-opened in mid-May 2014, and officially opened on May 28. Some elements of Mickey's Toontown Fair were demolished and others were rethemed to a new Storybook Circus area. An expanded Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride was built in this new location with an interactive queue. Storybook Circus began soft openings on March 12, 2012, including one of the new Dumbo carousels. The southern end of Storybook Circus had a delayed opening on March 21, 2012. During the soft openings, it was revealed that the new attraction received the water features that have been included with the attraction in many other Disney Parks around the world. However, unlike the other versions, an additional effect occurs at night when the fountain lights change colors, an effect that was picked up from the Disneyland version, but with more colors. The Dumbo vehicles, which are richly detailed and vibrantly colored, now spin clockwise from the original version, which was reconstructed next to the new one, that soft-opened on June 22. The two rides therefore rotate counter to each other. The attraction also features a new soundtrack and artwork panels at the bottom of the carousels that tell the story of Dumbo, like the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel attraction. However, a new central hub was introduced that lacks the hot air balloon with Timothy Mouse and the magic feather. This figure has been moved above the attraction's marquee. A signature feature of this version is an indoor queue themed to the Bigtop from the film. Inside guests receive ticket-themed pagers where they can wait until prompted, and small children can play in the play area themed to Dumbo's fire rescue stunt scene. Info Soar high in the sky on a whimsical flight over Storybook Circus aboard Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Category:List